Handles for articles of luggage



Sept. 5, 1967 w. E. CHANCE HANDLES FOR ARTICLES OF LUGGAGE Filed Sept. 16, 1965 FIGB NVENTOR= MLUAN ERNEST CHANCE United States Patent 3,339,684 HANDLES FOR ARTICLES OF LUGGAGE William Ernest Chance, Sutton Coldfield, England, as-

signor to C. W. Cheney & Son Limited, Hockley, Birmmgham, England, a British company Filed Sept. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 487,668 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Oct. 7, 1964, 40,826/64 3 Claims. (Cl. 190--58) This invention relates to handles for articles of luggage of the well-known kind comprising a relatively rigid handle proper provided with inturned co-axial trunnion portions which are spanned by a mounting plate which is adapted for attachment to the article of luggage and for ournalling the trunnions so as to allow for pivoting of the handle.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved handle which is particularly simpler to assemble and possessing greater strength.

In accordance with the present invention a handle of the kind referred to comprises a relatively rigid handle proper provided with inturned co-axial trunnion portions spanned by a mounting plate adapted for attachment to said article of luggage and for journalling said trunnions toallow pivoting of the handle about the trunnion axes, said mounting plate being substantially tubular so as to be captive to the handle.

The mounting plate is preferably channel shaped and has flanges inturned to embrace the trunnions and a clearance is preferably provided at a number of positions, between the edges of said flanges, to enable rivets or other fastening expedients to be passed diametrically of the tube for anchoring the same to the article of luggage.

The end marginal zones of the tube may be inturned radially to engage in grooves formed around the trunnions so as to ensure retention of the trunnions in the mounting plate in the event of great load flexing the handle, and this may also serve to maintain any desired axial spacing between the mounting plate and handle.

The invention is particularly useful where a second or cover plate is supplied and the cover plate and mounting plate may have inter-engaging lugs or projections and slots or recesses to snap-engage the two together.

It will be appreciated that the handle unit supplied to the suitcase or luggage manufacturer will in general consist of the handle and assembly mounting plate and a separate cover plate. This facilitates assembly by semiskilled personnel in avoiding the necessity for accurate location of the handle and mounting plate together.

One preferred embodiment of the invention is now more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a handle assembly and cover plate with the latter removed.

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the handle assembly and cover plate assembled.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation.

FIG. 4 is a section on line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a section on line 55 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, the assembly shown therein comprises a handle proper 10, composed of a plastics moulding possibly with a reinforcement, but having a horizontally extending portion a to be gripped by a users hand, a pair of depending portions 10b, 10c integral with the horizontal extending portion, and a pair of inturned coaxial trunnions 11, each of which is cylindrical and has a peripheral groove 12.

The two trunnions are spanned by a one-piece mounting plate 13 which is of generally channel section and is introduced to the handle proper and then has its longitudinally extending lateral edges 13a inturned or rolled 3,339,684 Patented Sept. 5, 1967 to embrace the trunnions as at 14, 15 (FIG. 4) and form a generally tubular strut.

The end edges of the plate 13 are inturned at 16 and engage in the peripheral trunnion grooves, so that in the event of the handle proper flexing under extreme load the trunnions cannot pull out of the ends of the plate 13.

It will be noted that the plate 13 is of flattened section between its ends as indicated best in FIG. 5, and this flattened portion sweeps into the part cylindrical end portion and is there flanked by gussets 17 formed out of the single piece of metal for strengthening purposes.

The plate 13 has a plurality of holes 18, conveniently countersunk (as seen in FIG. 3) for strength, and to receive rivets or the like. The space between the inturned edges of the plate is suflicient to allow the rivets to pass therebetween or the said edges are recessed for the same purpose.

The corners of the plate are cut away as at 20 for a purpose hereinafter described.

The handle as thus described is apt for fitment to a travel bag or the like, and the rivets etc. can then be hidden from view by a cover plate 25; this is of U section V with inturned end edges 26 (like those 16 of plate 13) and again the cover may be of flattened or other e.g. ornamental, configuration. To retain the plate 25 in position, it may be made a tight wedge fit, but alternatively and as shown in the drawings it has dimples 27 which snap engage in the corner cut-out recesses 20.

The separate cover plate not only hides the rivets and makes for a pleasing finish, but also contributes strength and facilitates economical production since the standard plate 13 can be used with a variety of plates 25.

I claim:

1. A handle for an article of luggage, comprising: (1) a relatively rigid handle proper 10, having (a) a longitudinally extending portion 10a to be gripped by a users hand, (b) a pair of depending portions 10b, 10c, integral with the longitudinally extending portion 10a, (c) and a pair of trunnions 11, each trunnion integral with a corresponding depending portion 10b, 10c, the trunnions being co-axial and extending towards one another generally parallel to the longitudinal portion 10a, and each trunnion having an encircling groove 12; (2) and a mounting plate which: (a) extends between the two handle portions 10b, 100, (b) overlaps both trunnions, (c) is of tubular shape and embraces both trunnions so as to be rendered captive to the trunnions and hence to the handle, and (d) has its end edges inturned and engaged in the two grooves about the said trunnions.

2. A handle as claimed in claim 1 wherein (1) said mounting plate is made of a strip of metal folded to a channel section to receive said trunnions and then having its lateral edges 13a inturned towards one another to make said tubular shape, and (2) said mounting plate has a plurality of rivet holes 18 formed for attaching the plate to a suitcase.

3. A handle as claimed in claim 2 wherein (1) a cover plate 25 is provided, (2) said cover plate is of channel section to embrace the mounting plate, and is of a length slightly greater than said mounting plate, (3) said cover plate is provided with means 27 to snap engage with said mounting plate, (4) and said cover plate is provided with inturned end edges 26 to engage in said grooves 12.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,185,272 5/1965 Chance -57 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,342,006 9/1963 France.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

1. A HANDLE FOR AN ARTICLE OF LAGGAGE, COMPRISING: (1) A RELATIVELY RIGID HANDLE PROPER 10, HAVING (A) A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING PORTION 10A TO BE GRIPPED BY A USER''S HAND, (B) A PAIR OF DEPENDING PORTIONS 10B, 10C, INTEGRAL WITH THE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING PORTION 10A, (C) AND A PAIR OF TRUNNIONS 11, EACH TRUNNION INTEGRAL WITH A CORRESPONDING DEPENDING PORTION 10B, 10C, THE TRUNNIONS BEING CO-AXIAL AND EXTENDING TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL PORTION 10A, AND EACH TRUNNION HAVING AN ENCIRCLING GROOVE 12; (2) AND A MOUNTING PLATE WHICH: (A) EXTENDS BETWEEN THE TWO HANDLE PORTIONS 10B, 10C, (B) OVERLAPS BOTH TRUNNIONS, (C) IS OF TUBULAR SHAPE AND EMBRACES BOTH TRUNNIONS SO AS TO BE RENDERED CAPATIVE TO THE TRUNNIONS AND HENCE TO AS TO BE RENDERED CAPTIVE TO THE TRUNNIONS AND HENCE TO THE HANDLE, AND (D) HAS ITS END EDGES INTURNED AND ENGAGED IN THE TWO GROOVES ABOUT THE SAID TRUNNIONS. 